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Player – Current Grade
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Reason for Grade
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How to Improve
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Kyle Beckerman - B
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I expected solid play from Kyle, I expected leadership, and I did not expect 3 goals and Kyle to be our leading scorer.
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Kyle has been given the captain’s armband, he needs to be the man in charge on the pitch, and he must lead by example and motivate the team to follow. Continue to take shots and convert them into goals.
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Kenny Deuchar – C
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“Dr. Goal” has yet to live up to the hype, I still think he can but 2 goals so far would only lead to 8 for the season. He has worked hard in the box and his teammates are still learning how to play with him.
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Kenny needs to continue to make himself a target in the box, take the first touch shots and improve his goal output. He has to remain focused and not get frustrated during matches.
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Fabian Espindola – B-
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Espindola has been good in attack and has shown a willingness to take shots (16 and 10 on goal), he has been using his pace to his advantage and I believe more good things will happen on the pitch
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A little work on his first touch is needed and a little better finishing 10 shots on goal and only two goals. He must show the wisdom to pass the ball to Kenny and others in the box, he needs to have some assists to go with the goals.
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Robbie Findley – C-
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Robbie is not getting as much playing time so his production is down, his speed is still a great tool but his shot ratio is low only 1 shot for 100 minutes played. That is ¼ Espindola’s rate, and ½ of Deuchar’s. More shots will lead to more goals
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Robbie has to shot and finish, he will have time with the U23 team to re-find his touch. Robbie needs to understand that speed can kill, but when combined with control and vision he can still turn his season around.
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Javier Morales - B
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Javier did not get a chance to shine in limited play last year, this year he has shown himself to be a great creator in the midfield, he leads the team with 4 assists (only 3 players in the league have more). Javier has been willing to take the shot as well, he is tied with Espindola for the team lead. Hopefully he will be healthy enough to get back into action soon.
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Morales has been one of the best things so far this season, he is showing himself to be one of the better attacking midfielders in the league. He needs to continue to create and attack, he will need to learn to take better advantage of Deuchar. He must get healthy and stay that way for RSL to be successful this season.
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Carey Talley * - D
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I included Carey even though he is no longer with the team, I like Carey and think he is a hell of a guy. I fear that the injury last season and his rushed recovery have impacted his future in MLS. He has the heart of a lion, but I think his body is failing him
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Do not come back to haunt us like Harris and Esky did in our last match with Chivas.
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Tony Beltran – C-
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Tony is a rookie, but he also is our first round draft pick. He came in with great promise and has shown moments of being a great MLS player, but he has also made some rookie mistakes by getting out of position and losing the man he is marking.
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Exposure with the U23 team and more playing time with the RSL first squad will help Tony get better prepared for the MLS style of play. Tony has great pace and a desire to play forward into the attack, he must make better passes, and learn to cross the ball better into the box to take advantage of our target players.
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Nat Borchers – C+
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Nat is an animal and I would love to grade him higher, but the defense has struggled and Nat has lost his man a few too many times on set pieces, I expect this grade to improve by midseason
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I imagine getting used to MLS play takes a few matches, I expect that we will see better play from Nat for the rest of the season. He is a natural target on set pieces both on offense and defense. He needs to find a way to help the offense more on set pieces.
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Matias Cordoba - I
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7 minutes of playing time, we have all heard the hype that Matias may be our best midfielder. With Morales hurt and Talley gone, we need to see the proof.
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Get into the starting 11, or become the first midfield option off the bench. When he gets on the pitch he must take advantage of it, shots, assists, and goals will get everyone’s attention.
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Kenny Cutler – C-
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RSL original, Kenny has more 1st team time in the first fourth of this season than he did all last year. The downside is Kenny has shown a lot of rust both coming off the bench and in his one start. His passes have been short or misdirected.
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Kenny has to play more physically in the midfield, he must stop attacks before they get out of the middle of the pitch. He has to see the field of play better, and has to get his passes to the intended targets. He has to limit mistakes and take advantage of this chance at playing time.
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Ian Joy -D
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Ian has been hit and miss so far this season, he is another playing getting reintroduced to MLS. He has shown the ability to get forward in attack, but his recovery ability has not been up to expectations. He has to find a way to get the ball into the box when attacking, and has to do a better job in his one on one defense. He has been beaten a few too many times.
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I think Ian will improve as the season moves along and he gets back into the MLS style and pace of play. Ian is not afraid of physical play and needs to take advantage of that fact to slow down attacking players, better a free kick from a foul, than a clear path to goal. Better vision when clearing the ball and moving forward in attack.
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Dustin Kirby - I
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3 minutes of playing time is simply not enough to comment on.
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Work himself into more 1st team playing time.
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Dema Kovalenko – B-
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Only two players got higher marks, because Dema is a force in the midfield. Only Morales has more assist than Dema, but Dema has had a couple great chances for either more assists or shots on goal, his first touch has not been as good as it should be. I love the energy and attitude that he brings to the team, there is no quit in Kovalenko
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Dema has had chances to really impact a number of matches offensively, and he has not taken full advantage of them and must do a better job in the future. Dema has to stay out of card trouble, and keep his emotions in check. He leads the team in fouls committed 15 and yellow cards 5. He has to keep the physical nature of his game but try to keep out of card trouble.
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Matias Mantilla- C-
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Another defensive player who suffers because of the overall failing of RSL’s defense. Matias has had some great matches; he is one of the team’s most vocal leaders on the pitch and will defend his teammates with unmatched passion. He has been out of position too often, or failed to cover his teammates moving forward in attack, and had some clearances that have lead to other teams getting offensive chances and goals.
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Matias needs to be the leader of the backline, with everyone around him being new he has to step up and keep the line organized to support Rimando. He must work on making sure that he clears the ball far enough to allow his teammates to recover and stop any offensive threats.
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Yura Movsisyan - D
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His first touch has failed him, his shots lack the power and accuracy we know he has. Too often he has refused to make a good pass in order to take a bad shot. His limited playing time has kept him from really finding his touch this season. Too often both at home and on the road, he has tripped over his own feet or the ball.
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First, Yura must get healthy; a recent meniscus surgery will keep him out for a while. When he gets back, he must learn when to shoot and when to pass the ball when in the box. He must get his first touch back, too often that has lead him to putting himself into bad positions. Better decision making will result in him getting more playing time.
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Jamison Olave – B-
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Olave is the only defensive player to get higher than a C as his grade. The reason is simple, I had few if any expectations going into the season of Jamison. After seeing him play in the BYU reserve match, I knew he would get some starting time soon. Physical and quick Olave has been a real asset so far this season.
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We have too much talent for our back line to be giving up this many goals, only 3 teams have given up more than RSL. Jamison will have to play very well when he is in the starting lineup, Matias and Nat seem to have the center of the defense locked up, so it may be the wings that hold the best future for Olave.
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Nathan Sturgis – I (B-)
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Before his injury Sturgis was making a real impact on the RSL line up, he provided a great defensive presence, and often was the starting point of RSL’s offensive efforts.
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Hamstring injuries can really impact players, hopefully Nathan will recover soon. He is an important part of the RSL midfield and that of the US U-23 national team. When he comes back Nathan must continue to live up to expectations.
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Andy Williams - C
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While some people cling to the saying that “when Andy plays, good things happen” but so far Andy has no goals and only one assist, but he has not lost his desire to shoot the ball 13 shots so far. Andy has had a habit of being a one man attacking machine, but that attitude flies in the face of the more team oriented attacking style RSL has embraced. Andy has the ability to serve quality balls into the box, he and Deuchar could be a great 1-2 punch, but so far that connection hasn’t formed.
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Andy has to become more of a team player, I understand his frustration when his passes are sharp but the following plays fail to get results. Andy must resist the temptation to put the entire attack on himself, and do a better job of pulling defenders to him and then getting the ball to others in attack.
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Chris Wingert – C-
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Chris is one of defensive line that has performed as expected but the overall performance of the back line has been below expectations. Chris has been an important cog in the RSL attack, he has the speed to get forward in attack and get back into his defensive position.
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If Chris can do a better job of crossing the ball in attack his grade will jump. He also has to make sure that he helps cover defensively when others defenders join into the attack. He must use his great feel of the game to help the backline react more quickly to stop opposing teams attack.
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Nick Rimando – B-
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Nick has had a great season so far making his fair share of impressive saves, his GAA average is up but only two keepers have faced more shots, and only two keepers have made more saves.
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Nick has to do a better job in communicating with his defenders to ensure that they are in the right place and that they know what his expectations are for them.
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